I might enjoy off seasons as much as the games with all the free agent moves and trades.I don't think we'll ever top last season for off season excitement but this year is going to be interesting because of all the uncertainty around the upcoming lockout and what the new CBA is going to look like.A lockout on July 1st is 100% going to happen. I think that means no free agent signings or trades from that date until a new CBA is in place. One theory out there is that there might be more trades than usual around the draft this year since some teams are going to want to get some things done before July 1st.

The interest in the NBA is at a definite peak and if they miss part of the next season it would be pretty detrimental. The owners crying about losing money just means they have no one to blame but themselves, they keep giving absurd contracts to middle of the road players. The list of guys that are dramatically overpaid is ridiculously long and the owners need to take accountability for making bad decisions.

I agree Josh. I post on a Kings board on occasion, and when we gave Kevin Martin 5 years and 55 Million I thought they were insane. 99% of that board though I was dumb. Now look at the contract, its an albatross spent on a slightly above average SG that is never healthy and play zero defense.

The owners crying about losing money just means they have no one to blame but themselves, they keep giving absurd contracts to middle of the road players. The list of guys that are dramatically overpaid is ridiculously long and the owners need to take accountability for making bad decisions.

I'm looking forward to all of the inevitable Dwight Howard speculation. I'm sure I'll grow weary of it soon enough. Obviously I'm rooting for the Howard to LA scenario.I think the funniest scenario would be a straight up Howard for Lebron trade. Would that make Miami a better team? Would Riley make the trade even if he was totally confident that it would make them significantly better?How about a Howard/Duhon for Westbrook/Collison trade? Imagine Howard and Ibaka defensively.Or Howard/Andersen for Noah/Deng?One thing I'm noticing is that with various trade possibilities, they all make Orlando a worse team.

I'm looking forward to all of the inevitable Dwight Howard speculation. I'm sure I'll grow weary of it soon enough. Obviously I'm rooting for the Howard to LA scenario.I think the funniest scenario would be a straight up Howard for Lebron trade. Would that make Miami a better team? Would Riley make the trade even if he was totally confident that it would make them significantly better?How about a Howard/Duhon for Westbrook/Collison trade? Imagine Howard and Ibaka defensively.Or Howard/Andersen for Noah/Deng?One thing I'm noticing is that with various trade possibilities, they all make Orlando a worse team.

This is going to be one of the most interesting things to me as well.Howard has already said that he's for sure going to become a free agent. He also says the usual he wants to resign with Orlando and win there but I don't know that they can risk it and they need to make a deal.I love the idea of the trade to OKC. The Thunder can live without Westbrook I think and use Harden to initiate the offense.

Harden is a nice change of pace, but he isn't a guy who should be initiating the offense consistently. If Orlando trades Howard I can't see them sending them to any eastern conference teams, it just wouldn't make sense.

Rumor: Suns, T'Wolves talking about Nash for #2 pick trade.I can't put into words how much I don't want this to happen. First of all, wtf Minnesota? I realize Nash is awesome, but he's also an old point guard, which is two things that make no sense for you. Second of all, Phoenix would have to be one cold-hearted organization to do that to Nash.Now, if this is a three-teamer that sent Nash somewhere else, then I'm intrigued. Rumor: Spurs offering Parker for lottery pick.If I'm the Kings, I make this trade in a heartbeat. Move Tyreke Evans to off-guard. Makes too much sense.

Disagree. Been following this rumor. Parker is on the down arc of his career, he doesn't shoot well and neither does Tyreke. I think if its parker straight up for #7 you do it, because you wont get this good of player in the draft, and can maybe move Parker for something else, but he is not what this team needs and he has a bloated salary.

Disagree. Been following this rumor. Parker is on the down arc of his career, he doesn't shoot well and neither does Tyreke. I think if its parker straight up for #7 you do it, because you wont get this good of player in the draft, and can maybe move Parker for something else, but he is not what this team needs and he has a bloated salary.

I think you do it because this draft super sucks and Parker is better than any free agent you can bring in. Simmons trade ideasTrade that he said would never happen, but is still fun to think about:Miami gets Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson; Orlando gets Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest; Los Angeles gets LeBron James and Gilbert Arenas.

I think you do it because this draft super sucks and Parker is better than any free agent you can bring in. Simmons trade ideasTrade that he said would never happen, but is still fun to think about:Miami gets Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson; Orlando gets Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Meta World Peace; Los Angeles gets LeBron James and Gilbert Arenas.

fyp

QUOTE (digitalmonkey @ Wednesday, August 18th, 2010, 1:55 PM)

Steve,

It doesn't matter who you start because you have a horse shoe up your ass so far I'm not really sure how you get through the day. You must be gay.

Heh. I'd put my money on "he just gets high all the time" rather than "he figured out the NBA penalties against drug use cannot be enforced."I've heard rumblings about a hard cap being put in place. What would be the logistics for that? Does it have to get grandfathered in? Would teams be able to cut players without salary cap ramifications? Which of the big three would Miami have to get rid of? What would the Lakers do with Kobe?If you were a player and had to choose between the two, would you rather have a hard cap and keep guaranteed contracts or no cap but no guaranteed contracts either?I wouldn't be surprised if either a big chunk of the season or the entire season is lost. And that makes me sad panda.

Since salaries are already tied to league revenue I don't get what the owners are bitching about.1. Hire a Gm who isn't an idiot2. stop overpaying for average and poor players3. profit

For this to work for all teams revenue sharing would need to be implemented. Also that % number is a little bogus. If the league makes more money the players don't get bonuses. (note: I think for the most part players are way over compensated)

This is going to be one of the most interesting things to me as well.Howard has already said that he's for sure going to become a free agent. He also says the usual he wants to resign with Orlando and win there but I don't know that they can risk it and they need to make a deal.I love the idea of the trade to OKC. The Thunder can live without Westbrook I think and use Harden to initiate the offense.

I think the most interesting totally-won't-happen-but-would-work-in-theory scenarios is Howard going to Miami for Lebron.Orlando gets the best players in the NBA for Dwight who is sure to go.Miami gets the best big man in the game and a Dwight-Wade-Bosh combo with a bunch of 3-point shooters just seems so much scarier. Wade doesn't have to share a role he can do by himself and the paint is now permanently guarded by the best defensive player in the game.Again, can't see it happening but very intriguing for sure.

For this to work for all teams revenue sharing would need to be implemented. Also that % number is a little bogus. If the league makes more money the players don't get bonuses. (note: I think for the most part players are way over compensated)

The salary cap has increased or decreased every year based on the previous years league revenues. If teams would stop paying middle of the road players double or triple what they are worth and wasting exemptions on guys they shouldn't be, salaries wouldn't be a problem.

Since salaries are already tied to league revenue I don't get what the owners are bitching about.1. Hire a Gm who isn't an idiot2. stop overpaying for average and poor players3. profit

I don't understand your plan. If salaries are tied to league revenue, that means that the teams must pay out in salaries a certain amount, right? So if salaries have to be 57% of league revenue and league revenue is $1b, then teams need to pay out $570m in salaries. Why does it matter what type of player gets that money? How does that turn a team that is losing money into a profitable one? Not overpaying bad players would probably help the team on the court if you assume that they are using that money saved to pay good players. But moving money from one player to another player doesn't turn you from losing money to making money.The owners are saying that the business model of spending 57% on player salaries does not allow them to earn a profit. Also, Guapo, players do get a bonus if the league makes more money.8% of basketball revenue goes to an escrow account. At the end of the year, if total player salaries were less than 57% of total basketball revenue, all the players get that escrowed money to bring them up to 57%.